Tech fans take second look

Wednesday

LUBBOCK — Tommy Tuberville’s coaching resume is littered with hallmark wins. He just added another one in only his second season at Texas Tech.

Tuberville’s Red Raiders gutted out a 41-38 win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma last week, doing it in Norman where the Sooners had won 39 straight games.

The victory has brought fans who hadn’t fully embraced Mike Leach’s replacement out of the woodwork. Twitter is full of Red Raiders faithful calling for a sellout crowd Saturday night at Jones Stadium when Texas Tech hosts Iowa State.

Tuberville sees benefits beyond getting the Red Raiders back in the national rankings and spotlight. The last time No. 19 Texas Tech was ranked was at the end of 2009.

The Red Raiders pulled off a road win that was “almost impossible to do,” given they were four-touchdown underdogs, Tuberville said.

“It’s one game, but it’s huge for recruiting, for national stature,” he said. “I hadn’t seen much on TV or read much about Texas Tech until this week. Now we’re in the news, and we’re proud of that. I’ve already noticed a difference in the kids we’re recruiting.”

Tuberville had 13 wins over top 10 teams in his decade at Auburn. The biggest came in 2001 during his third year coaching the Tigers when Auburn beat top-ranked Florida 23-20 at home. In 2007, the Tigers beat the Gators in Gainesville when Florida was ranked fourth.

Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege shredded the Oklahoma defense, completing 33 of 55 passes for 441 yards and four touchdown passes. The nation’s leading passer also ran for a score.

Perhaps most impressive about Doege’s big day against what was the nation’s second best team in sacks was his poise. On the second offensive play, center Justin Keown went out for the game with an injured knee. In came Deveric Gallington, a junior and the starting right guard who had never before made a snap at center.

About a dozen of Gallington’s snaps were bad, forcing Doege to dig some off the turf. Doege scored a 1-yard TD on one of them and he managed to not fumble any of the others.

“That’s just experience,” Tuberville said. “But it was rough on Seth fielding those ground balls and knowing somebody was coming after him pretty fast. It was a heck of a performance.”

The Red Raiders had lost two straight at home to ranked teams before heading to Norman. Some fans worried the Red Raiders might not win six games to become bowl eligible.

The win at OU definitely “doesn’t hurt” his popularity or credibility, Tuberville said.

Aware that he hadn’t won over all the Leach fans, Tuberville said he knew coming in it would take time to move the Red Raiders beyond being a one-dimensional team, something he called “a one-ring circus.” Having only a strong offense isn’t his style and the OU win could show fans that a well-rounded team yields good results.

“I’m glad other people sound like they’re deciding to jump on and usually when you win a game, they do,” the 57-year-old coach said. “We know how to win a few games, and we know how to build a program, so we’re doing it slowly. We’re not even close to being where we want to be.”

Receiver Alex Torres said it helped to have a small and vocal group of Texas Tech fans in Norman.

“I know a lot of people out there are going to say this is a lucky game, OU didn’t bring their best and they made a lot of mistakes,” said Torres, who caught three of Doege’s TD passes. “I’m just happy with the way everything turned out.”

Fans can be fickle and when the university fired Leach a year after the Red Raiders beat Texas, the nation’s top team, the former coach’s loyalists weren’t too happy to lose the coach’s pass-happy offense.

Tuberville said he doesn’t understand that mindset entirely.

“It’s just a shame it takes (the OU win) because blood should be thicker than water when it comes to being on a team and pulling for a team,” he said. “Not back and forth or not for any other reason other than they want your team to be successful, and I think that’s going to happen.”

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.